Sato delivers from the circle and the plate as Moanalua softball rolls
Kaylah Sato delivered a three-hitter and drove in four runs with three hits, including a double, as Moanalua overwhelmed Punahou 12-1 on Tuesday in the Division I opening round of the DataHouse/HHSAA Softball State Championships. Sunshine and light tradewinds blanketed McKinley’s Tiger Softball Stadium from start to finish. Na Menehune, the OIA’s fourth-place team, brought a talented, young lineup that could match one of the state’s hottest teams.
“They did a great job today. We had a plan on hitting and they executed that plan really well,” Moanalua coach Kylee Oshiro said. “Our defense did their job.
Kaylah pitched very well today and Alia (Anzai) absolutely shut it down at shortstop, and that’s all we can ask for. ” A young Punahou team had wreaked havoc in the ILH’s round-two tournament, knocking out regular-season runner-up Kamehameha. After winning five of their previous six games, the Buffanblu were unable to solve Sato.
The right-handed sophomore considers herself a third baseman first, but when Oshiro makes the call, Sato has been outstanding in the pitcher’s circle. En route to a 7-0 record in OIA and HHSAA play, Sato has racked up 25 strikeouts in 272⁄3 innings with an ERA of 3. 56.
She spotted her fastball and changeup with precision, striking out three Buffanblu while walking none. “Whatever the team needs, we give to our teammates and coaches,” Sato said. “Our coaches did a really good job at finding out what (Punahou) struggles on.
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